Tenchu: Ruler of the Shadows
by Shadow of Destruction
Summary: Rikimaru and Ayame are up against a new enemy that was discovered when a strange murder takes place in Lord Gohda's Castle, now it is up to the Azuma ninja to find and destroy the threat to Lord Gohda's family.
1. Summary

_**Tenchu: Ruler of the Shadows**_

Summary: In this Tenchu addition starring the two ninjas Rikimaru and Ayame, they take on a new enemy that was not known to them until they discovered strange murders and kidnappings that cause them to investigate, this leads them to find an underground shadow warrior organization run by the apparent "Ruler of the Shadows", but can they defeat this new found enemy, find out.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters used in this story except right now for Temicaru, I'll inform you later if I own anyone else.


	2. Chapter 1: Murder in Gohda Castle

Chapter 1: Murder In Gohda's Castle

Rikimaru awoke in a cold sweat, he was still having nightmares about his master Azuma Shiunsai being murdered by his friend and mentor Tatsumaru. He had trusted Tatsumaru and yet trust wasn't enough, his treachery ended in his death. Rikimaru missed him terribly, but he still had Ayame, his 17 year old apprentice in which he loved more then life in itself but he had to deny his feelings. He knew she had been in love with Tatsumaru and probably had no feelings for him.

He yawned and rose from his cot on the floor of his small ninja house that he shared with Ayame at the edge of Lord Gohda's Azuma village and walked out of the room. He walked toward the kitchen and past the living room where he saw Ayame already up and dressed performing her morning worship to Buddha. He stopped and watched her for a while, her beautiful perfect body moving up and down as she bowed to the small bronze statue on a small iron table in the middle of the living room. He sighed just low enough so she wouldn't hear him and continued toward the kitchen. He had just reach the door when he heard some muffled trumpet playing coming from the front of the house. Panicked he rushed from the kitchen and out the front door just in time to hear the trumpet player say, "I now present Sire Sekyia from Gohda Castle sent to speak to the warriors of Gohda," in a loud clear voice.

Just then Ayame rushed from the house and stood just beside Rikimaru. "Rikimaru, what is happening?" she asked in a confused tone. "It's okay, Sire Sekyia has decided to pay us a visit," he informed her. At these words a tall middle aged man stepped from the middle of the crowd of guards that accompanied him. "Rikimaru. Ayame, it is so nice to see you again," he said in a very somber voice. Ayame and Rikimaru bowed to Lord Gohda's advisor and stood up. "Unfortunately I come with bad news," he said to the two warriors, "Lord Gohda's nephew Temicaru was murdered while on his monthly visit to the castle. He was found this morning on the floor of the guest room, his thoat slit, his left eye missing and a strange symbol carved into his chest. Lord Gohda requires you assistance at the castle," he finished, and a pained smile spread across his face as if happy he had succeeded in finding them but they could tell the smile was forced. "Sire Sekyia, we will be ready and to the castle as soon as possible, thank you for imforming us," Rikimaru told him. He nodded and turned to his men, "Let us go home now," They turmed their horses around and started back toward the castle. Rikimaru turned back toward the door of his house, "Ayame get ready, we will depart in a half an hour," he said to her.

When back in the house Rikimaru and Ayame prepared to receive a new mission from Lord Gohda when they arrived at his castle, they packed weapons, shirikens, healing potions, smoke bombs and Ninja Cloaking Devices. They bathed and dressed, Rikimaru in his red ninja suit, with a black belt around his waist and a black headband that was half hidden under his light sliver hair, his sword pulled in a tight sheath on his back. Ayame dressed ina a light blue ninja suit also with a black belth around her waist, her two short swords placed in waist sheaths so that the crossed diagonally across her back. Rikimaru preformed his worships and they were out the door. Time was a factor so for extra speed the two ninjas crossed the twon to the Azuma stables and saddled up, they hopped on and headed off at a full gallop toward the castle.

When they arrived fifteen minutes later, Lord Gohda, Sire Sekyia and Princess Kikiu were standing outside waiting for them, the Princess was crying and in front of the trio there was a small structure covered in a red blanket. "Welcome Azuma Ninja, I'm quite sure Sekyia has told you our situation, Sekyia cna you take Kikiu inside please," Gohda said. Sekyia nodded and led the sobbing Kikiu into the castle.

Lord Gohda waited until the doors of the castle were closed then turned to the warriors. "This is...was my nephew," he said throwing the blanket off the small figure. At the sight of the small mutilated boy Ayame let out a sob and turned away nearly ramming into Rikimaru who looked down at the boy in shock. "He was murdered last night around sun up," he informed them. "Who would do somehting like this?" Ayame asked, still not looking at the body. "We don't know, we just found him like this," he answered. Rikimaru didn't know either, nor did he care, all he did know was that whoever did this would pay with their life.


	3. Chapter 2: RAIDS!

Chapter 2: RAIDS!

Everything Sire Sekiya described was there, cut throat, empty left eye socket, strange symbol carved into the chest, all present and accounted for. Rikimaru rolled this over in his mind a little just to see if he knew anything, then suddenly Lord Gohda's voice cut threw his thoughts. "Come into the castle and talk to the scholars in the library, they have done some research and came up with a few interesting things that may help you," he said to the warriors. Lord Gohda led them into the castle, up six floors of the castle, down three hallways and finally stopped at a large stone door at the end of a hallway covered in paintings of past lords of this land before Lord Gohda took the throne. "This is my castle library," he said as he opened the door. The three entered and saw a long line of tables filled with people pouring over books. "These are my kingdom's top researches, they are looking for anything that relates to the weird symbol carved in my nephew or the method to which he was murdered," he told them as he led them over to one of the tables nearest the back wall where three researchers poured themselves over books. "So far these three are the only ones that have found anything, I'll get them to explain it to you," he said turning to the table. "Arise from you book Scholar Balaclava and inform our young soldiers as to what you have found," he said to a tall thin researcher with a thick brown mustache, hard eyes and a scar running over his left eyebrow.

"As you wish My Lord," he said in a deep, rich voice. He turned to the two ninjas and began. "We have found out from doing extensive research that the mark belongs to an organization that has not been active for centuries. The legend of the shadow organization who called themselves Rage From The Darkness goes back about twelve centuries ago when a Shogun from the most powerful Japanese army housed in Edo vanished one day after claiming he was having reoccurring dreams about demons carrying him away to a lair beneath the Earth where he would be contacted by their ruler and gifted with immense power beyond what he could describe. Twenty years later the Shogun returned to Edo and began spreading word of an organization that was never heard of to the human ear before, he began to teach of its ways and brainwashed people into following its beliefs and worshiping its gods. It is said that every twenty years a new leader was picked for this organization, he would then earn the title as Ruler Of The Shadows. The followers of this society ranged all the way from bloodthirsty demons to rogue ninjas and all believed that the pagan god they worship in which they call Sumatacratsu handpicked the Ruler of the Shadows. This god then told the Ruler Of The Shadows that on the night of every full moon he demanded a sacrifice in which he chose. Each sacrifice was to be killed by a cut throat, Sumatacratsu symbol would then be carved into the chest of the victim and its left eye would be removed as a trophy to put on in the lair of the organization to prove to the followers of the Rage From The Darkness the sacrifice was indeed a success. These sacrifices were carried out by soldiers hand picked from the ranks of the organization by The Ruler Of The Shadows himself. When the end of the twenty years came and it was time for a new ruler the ones who had made almost ever single sacrifice ordered by Sumatacratsu was granted great power and made a younger god under him, however if anymore then four sacrifices were missed then The Ruler Of The Shadows himself was sacrificed to his god the exact same was the ones Sumatacratsu ordered. The new leader was picked by they god and was judged on many things. Ruthlessness, leadership skills, strategics, and commitment were looked upon in favor of all else, a lot of the time the ruler is one of the members of the organization who has been there for quite a while, but some, like the Shogun I told you about, are outsiders who had no knowledge of the RFTD until they have the dreams and then get swept away by Sumatacratsu's warriors. Six hundred years ago however, and outsider would lead to undoing of the organization." He paused for a second to regain his thoughts then continued. "One day a lone soldier by the name of Kenji Balaclava from a small army in the inlands of Japan heard about the organization and how you could be accepted into it as a leader."

"Wait a second, didn't Lord Gohda say your name was Galaklava?" Rikimaru interrupted.

"Rikimaru shut up and let him continue," Ayame snapped at him.

The scholar smiled, "Very observant you are young warrior, Kenji Galaklava was my ancestor " he told the ninjas. "Now where was I?" he asked them.

"You were telling us about Kenji's background," Ayame answered.

"Ah yesm" he remembered. "Tirelessly Kenji Galaklava worked for sixty years to become what the Rage From The Darkness wanted. He read up on it, studied the organization as closely as possible and finally he began to have the dreqams, then without warning he was amushed by an outfit of demons and ninjas and taken to their lair far benarth the crust of the Earth. He was shocked at what he saw when he reached the lair, the great god Sumatacratsu spoke its wisdom through a mere glass orb placed on an alter in the middle of their hideout. It was then that the aging Kenji had an idea to put an end to this evil organization that has killed so many in six hundred years, he was going to destroy their means of existence, he was going to smash the orb, but first he was gonna lead them on while he thought of a method on how to do it. For many months Kenji sent his soldiers to carry out their sacrifices. Ten years past and Kenji had fulfilled every single sacrifice ordered upon him. As a gift for his extremely faithful services Sumatacratsu presented Kenji with a powerful sword and finally Kenji had a method in which to break the orb. Kenji thanked Sumatacratsu and without another word or thought raised the sword and brought down on the orb, smashing it into trillions of pieces then with the high pitched scream of Sumatacratsu fading away and disappearing a motive for The Rage From The Darkness disappeared and Kenji knew he was about to be killed by the followers so he quickly turned the sword on himself and pierced his own heart, heroically putting an end to the dark age of the cult that had slain so many in six hundred years." He paused again, a proud smile on his face and once again continued. "Legend has it that after the orb was destroyed a lot of the member had no reason to live and went the same way as Kenji but others traveled the world looking for their fallen god while others searched for another religion to turn to. Legend also has it that the only way Sumatacratsu can be resummened and the organization reformed is if an orb is created in the same image and likens and out of the same mysterious material that the original was made out of, this replic must contain at least one piece of the orginal orb, something I thought to be impossible to do but somehow someone has done it," finished the scholar.

"The only question is, who?" said Rikimaru.

Right at the moment these words left the young ninja's mouth the door of the library burst open and a stream of guards burst into the room and ran to their king.

"Lord Gohda," the obviously frightened commander bowed and stood up again as did the rest of the guards. "Demons have launched raids on the Azuma village as well as other smaller villages outside of it, we've sent in troops but for every one we take down five more take its place its no use, we're outnumber badly," the guard said his eyes fixed on his feet.

Ayame and Rikimar made eye contact. Ayame spoke first. "Well," she said, "whoever this son of a bitch is who resurrected that god is now fucking with my home, so I guess we're about to find out who he is." With these words Rikimaru and Ayame turned and sprinted out of the library down to the battlefield, the guards following closely behind.


	4. Chapter 3: The Ruler Of The Shadows

Chapter 3: The Ruler Of The Shadows 

Rikimaru and Ayame continued to sprint throughout the castle, down the halls and down the many flights of stairs to the main entrance hall. The guards opened the castle doors and the two ninjas, followed by the soldier whos informed them of the raids, ran out the door and into the light of the outside. Right as their feet touched the dirt road outside the castle they heard something that they hoped they would not hear. Up the road no more then fifty feet from them four guards where sprinting toward the castle, swords drawn and frightened expressions on their faces.

"They're advancing on the castle! Lock it down, everyone run for your lives!" the guard in the lead shouted.

Rikimar and Ayame didn't have to wait long for the soldiers to get to them. "What's going on? What happened?" Rikimaru asked the winded warriors.

"We went out to protect the villages being raided by the monsters," the lead beganl "but even our army was no match for them, they killed hundreds of us and fed on the corpses of our dead soldiers and our dead horses. We were badly outnumbered so we had to retreat beyond the town boarders, but then the creatures turned toward the castle, and they're headed here now," he finished.

"How many would you guess there is?" Rikimar asked.

"Thousands," the lead answered in a hopeless voice. "Tens of thousands."

"Just fucking great. Did you see of any leader?" Rikimaru asked.

"I didn't see any," responded the commander.

"I did," a soldier behind him said, "a lone, hooded horseman, he was pretty tall and had a long thin sword. He led a large number of the forces."

At these words Rikimaru looked back at Ayame, she nodded. "Gather up whatever of your army is left and saddle up, we're riding into battle and aiming for their leader they might fall back if they have no one to follow," Rikimaru told the commander as he drew his sword and jumped onto his horse, Ayame following his lead.

"At once great Azuma," the commander said running off. Within three minutes the commander returned. "I have five thousand soldiers with me great Azuma," he told Rikimaru.

"Good, now lets ride," Rikimaru said turning toward the direction of the Azuma village. Now Rikimaru knew that these monsters were coming, he could hear the thunderous boom of thousands of feet all marching in unison their way.

"FOR THE GLORY OF GOHDA!!" the army all shouted in unison, unsheathing their swords and turning to gallop toward the oncoming demon army, now the charge was on. The commander took the lead beside the Azuma ninjas and the galloped toward the sound of the marching demons, the tremendous boom of five thousand horses making it almost impossible to hear anything.

They weren't galloping for very long before the wave of demons came into view. The two ninjas could not believe what they were seeing; tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of misshapen monsters, some with three heads and five legs, others with beaks that stood fifteen feet tall, thousands of genetic defects like twelve arms, seven legs, too many heads, sharp teeth and claws were visible amongst the mass of monsters. The only humanlike person was the hooded horseman, he was tall and hooded so you couldn't see his face, he seemed perfectly normal with no defects at all. The army slowed for a minute taking in the same things the ninjas did. Then the horseman on the other side stopped and surged the demons forward with a swoop of his arms, as the demons charged he was engulfed in them and the army could no longer see him.

"DEATH TO THE CREATURES OF DARKNESS!!!!!!!" the army shouted in unison as they raced their horses forward into battle, their assortment of weapons including swords, maces, lances, spears and battle axes flying over their heads as the charged into the hordes of creatures.

The gallop went on for no more then twenty seconds before both groups clashed and ran full force into eachother, from that second they hit blood was everywhere. Rikimaru and Ayame with their horses back to back slashing at any deomon that came there way, heads and arms flew, torsos were severed, their swords penetrating the demonsj' flesh and leveling them few at a time.

"There's way too fucking many of these assholes," Rikimaru said as he brought his sword up in a diagonal arc, sendin the entire upper half of a demons torso fly backwards while his lower have all the way down to his feet stayed in the same place and fell to the groung.

"Do you think these guys are the Rage From The Darkness group?" Ayame asked as she thrust both her swords deep into the eye socket of an oncoming demon with twelve arms and long spiderlike legs. She then dragged the swords down the monsters face, though its neck and down its chest until the swords pierced its heart, she pulled them out just in time to engage combat with another demon of the same type coming her way.

"Probably, and that hooded dude must be the Ruler Of The Shadows, we have to fight that way to try and get to him," Rikimaru responded.

Slowly they began to back further and further toward the village fighting off demon by demon turning the small dirt road outside the Azuma village turned into a large pool of blood and detached body parts. Then all of a sudden all the demons vanished, corpses and all vanished, the blood and body parts of the monsters disappeared and all that was left were the corpses of Gohda's fallen soldiers, which were very few. Rikimaru quickly scanned the area to see if anything was left and then his eye feel on the only foe left on the battle field, the hooded horseman stood not far away.

"Hello my Azuma siblings," said the horseman in a youthful voice, "how wonderful to see you both again."

"Do we know you?" Rikimaru asked, only finding the voice vaguely farmiliar. He looked at Ayame to see if she had any recognition on her face, and was surprised at what he saw. Ayame stood there, stock still, her mouth wide open in shock and her eye looking at the figure in disbelief.

"Well at least my sister remembers me," the figure said with a faint snicker in his voice. "I wonder if I should reveal myself to my brother Rikimaru, what do you think sister, should I?" he asked Ayame.

Rikimaru's gaze went back to Ayame she was on her knees now, her head bowed, tears falling from her face and hitting the dirt of the road, it was a very slight motion but Rikimaru could see her nod.

Rikimaru then heard the figure in front of him laugh. "Look at me brother," he said, Rikimaru's gaze swept back to the hooded horseman who was raising his hands to his hood. "Are you ready for this?" he asked.

"I doubt it, but whatever," Rikimaru replied, his hands shaking.

With those words the figure removed his hood revealing a youthful warrior, he had black hair and black eyes, he was a slightly darker Japanese decent but his face brought memories flooding back to Rikimaru, it was too much and before Rikimaru knew it he too was on his knees, shuddering trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

"How… how can this be, you're dead," he stuttered out, his voice hoarse.

"Yes, I was but I had help from a ver special friend," Tatsumaru said. "Now I am the ruler of the most powerful organization known to this world, tons of power, and its all mine," he said a sinister smile crossing his face.

"You, Tatsumaru, you are the new Ruler Of The Shadows, you command the Rage From The Darkness, you the Azuma ninja Tatsumaru have brough pain and suffering to so many by sacrificing innocent beings," Rikimaru said almost shouting, his pain turning to anger as he stood up with his sword held ready.

Tatsumaru smiled drawing his thin, rapier like sword out of its sheath. "That I am dear brother, that I am."


End file.
